5. Wind spinners

Most standard souvenirs are available in any gift shop on property. You’ll rarely have to search for a tee-shirt or stuffed animal, for example, unless you’re seeking something specific. Occasionally, you have to work just a bit to get to that perfect find. Wind spinners are a prime example of an item worth going out of your way for.

But, what is a wind spinner? Think of what would result in combining a kaleidoscope with a pinwheel. That is a wind spinner! Add a Mickey Mouse head, Cinderella Castle, or any other recognizable icon or character, and you have a bonafide Disney keepsake. Occasionally, you can find wind spinners at special events, such as Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. The appropriately named company behind these masterpieces, Eyecatchers, also maintains a  merchandise cart at Downtown Disney (near Fulton’s Crab House). These mesmerizing, artistic mementos certainly make for envious conversation pieces!

6. Parasols

Gift shops are hard to avoid at a theme park. On the flip side, outdoor merchandise carts can be easy to overlook. Often these carts provide items that aren’t readily available in the indoor shops. At Magic Kingdom (Liberty Square) and Epcot, you can find an especially unique cart item that offers complete customization - personalized parasols.

More for decorative purposes than practical ones, the parasols are hand-painted as you wait, according to your specifications. Options include beautiful script lettering, hearts, flowers, characters and many other decorative accents. There are a of variety colors to choose from, as well as two sizes. Prices vary based on size and level of detail. Epcot’s parasol carts have appeared in both the China and France pavilions, which allows for the added option of personalization in a foreign language.

7. Crystal sculptures

For an exquisite keepsake, consider crystal sculptures and figurines. This may be one of the most widely varied product lines available at Disney. From tiny animals to dramatically sparkling recreations of Cinderella Castle, there are luxurious trinkets for every price range. You can find crystal products on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, at the Arribas Bros. shop at Downtown Disney, and in the Mexico, Germany, and Italy pavilions at Epcot. Each shop presents an array of similar core products, as well as higher-end, extravagant pieces unique to each location.

Items include displayables, and wearables - with Swarovski Crystal jewelry and tiaras that are truly tantalizing treasures. What lady wouldn’t swoon over the ultimate princess accessory?

8. Build-your-own souvenirs

No one can deny the popularity and appeal of personalized or customized souvenirs, but you have to appreciate Disney’s knack for taking things one step further. The category of “souvenir experiences” is rapidly growing as more items present themselves in build-your-own fashion. Among some of the more popular items you can create by your own design are Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures and Star Wars favorites such as light sabers and droid action figures.

Once Upon A Toy at Downtown Disney offers all three of these items in one convenient location. The Potato Head station features numerous accessories to prep your spuds as the perfect Disney tourists. Choose your pieces for one complete figurine, or load up a case with extra interchangeables. Ambitious young potato decorators can pass plenty of time just exploring their options here.

Aside from Once Upon A Toy, light sabers and droids can be created at Tatooine Traders at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Mickey’s Star Traders at Magic Kingdom. Much like the Potato Head assembly area, choose your colors and styles to create the perfect weapon or sidekick for your galactic mission - representative of either your Dark Side or Jedi alliance, of course! Posted instructions detail the nine-step light saber building process, complete with sound and light effects.

Droid action figures aren’t limited to R2D2 blue, either! Experiment with colors, forms, and even costume accessories. After all, a droid from Disney should certainly have a pair of Mickey Mouse ears!

There’s never a shortage of souvenir selections to commemorate your Walt Disney World vacation. In fact, the slew of shops and merchandise can often be considered overwhelming! All too often, guests flock to the items they see most frequently, or those they personally associate with a standard park visit. Be the one who brings home the items your friends overlooked, or took notice of after their spending cap was put in place. Make your Disney visit special, and uniquely memorable for years to come.